Real Madrid leave it late to beat Cadiz

Real Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Cadiz at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla on Saturday, thanks to two late goals from Nacho and Marco Asensio. The visitors struggled to score against a resilient Cadiz side for most of the game, but finally found a way through in the 72nd minute when Nacho scored from outside the box. Four minutes later, Asensio doubled the lead with a clinical finish from inside the box.

The win keeps Real Madrid in second place in La Liga, five points ahead of Atletico Madrid with a game in hand.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti made several changes to his starting lineup, resting some key players ahead of the crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Chelsea on Tuesday. Toni Kroos and Vinicius Junior were not even in the squad, while Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga started on the bench. Dani Ceballos and Aurelien Tchouameni were among those given a chance to impress in the starting XI.

The hosts were determined to cause an upset and put pressure on Real Madrid from the start. They had the first big chance of the game in the 12th minute when Alfonso Espino hit the post with a left-footed shot from the left side of the box.

Real Madrid had more possession and generated a ton of shots and great chances, but struggled to score.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Real Madrid dominating but failing to find a breakthrough. Cadiz defended with tenacity and discipline, while also looking for chances on the counter-attack. Sergio made his first substitution in the 55th minute, bringing on Jorge Mere for Raul Parra.

Ancelotti waited until the 67th minute to make his first change, replacing Lucas Vazquez with Eduardo Camavinga. The French midfielder, who again played left-back tonight had an immediate impact, and was involved both offensively and defensively.

Nacho’s goal gave Real Madrid a boost of confidence and they quickly added a second one. Valverde played a through ball for Asensio, who ran into the box and slotted past David Gil with his left foot.

Ancelotti then made three more substitutions, bringing on Modric, Hazard and Vinicius for Valverde, Rodrygo and Benzema respectively.

The final minutes of the game saw Real Madrid control possession and tempo, while Cadiz tried to reduce the deficit. However, neither side managed to score again and the game ended 2-0 in favor of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid will now turn their attention to their crucial clash against Chelsea on Tuesday, where they will need to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg. Cadiz will face Espanyol next Sunday in another important game for their survival hopes.